Double-acting ratchet-handle for lifting-jacks.



A. DUDGEON. DOUBLE ACTING RATGHET HANDLE PoR LIFTING JAGKS. vAPPLICATION FILED JULY 12,1913. l 1,091,170 Patented Mar. 31, 1914.

W/TNESSES s'ra'rns PATE ADDELBERT DUnGEoN, or Ln'rnonn, PENNSYLVANIA.

DOUBLE-ACTING RATCHET-HANDLE FOR .Specicaticon of Letters llatent.

'LIFTING-JACKS.

T0 all @hom it may concern.'

Be 1t known that I, ADDELBERT DUncEoN,

a'citizen of the United States, and a resident of Latrobe, in th'ecounty of Westmoreland and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a newand Improved Double-Acting Ratchet- Handle for Lifting-Jacks, of whichthe following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to lifting jacks, and has reference moreparticularly to the lever structure for actuating the-jack.

An object of the invention is to provide a simple, strong andinexpensive jack which, by a simple manipulation, can be reversed fromraising a load to lowering the same, and vice versa.

Another obj ect of the invention is to provide an operating lever whichis removably associated with the jack and can be used with differentjacks of the same structure and of different sizes, within apredetermined limit.

The invention consists of the construction and `combination of parts tobe more fully described hereinafter and fully set forth in the claim.

Reference is to be hadto the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthis specifi- Y tudinal section of an embodiment of my invention; Fig. 3is a section on line 3-3, Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 is a section on line 4-4,Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, 5 represents a tubular member, the inner endsof which are threaded, one receiving a right screw 6, the

other, a left screw 7. The screw 7 is provided with a base 8, while thescrew 6 is provided with a head 9. The tubular member `5 is providedwith a reinforcement 10 in the middle thereof, on the lateral surface ofwhich a ratchet 11 is formed.

Snugly fitting on the reinforcement 10, covering the ratchet surface, isa collar 12 which is providedwith a lateral tubular portion 13, theaperture of which faces the ratchet surface and is substantially centralwith the same. The collar' 12 is prevented from sliding on thereinforcement 10 by the engagement of a screw 14 positioned in thecollar, with a groove 15 formed in the reinforcement 10 slightly belowthe ratchet surface under the collar. This engagement,

' Spring;

therefore, normally on the tubular member, permits its rotation onthesame.

vFitting with oneend into the aperture of the lateral tubular portion 13is a tubular lever 16. `This und of the tubular lever is provided with alongitudinal slot 17 into `which fits a latch or locking member 18provided at the end nearer to the extremity of the tubular member, witha V-shaped roove 19 engaging a sharp projection Patented Mar. 3i, 1914.Application filed July 12, 1913. Serial No. 778,704.

while preventing the translation of thecollar ormed by the adjacent endsof the slot and whereon said latch 18 is adapted to swing. I

The opposite end of the latch has a portion 20 projecting above thetubular lever and therein receiving a screw 21 passing across thetubular lever 16 and having its head 22 in engagement with the exteriorlateral surface of the tubular lever, so as to form a stop for theoutward movement of the portion 2() produced by the coil spring 23mounted within the tubular lever on said screw, and

normally tends to swing the portion 20 of the latch 18 out of thetubularlever about lts pivotal point 19.

'lhe lateral tubular portion 13 adjacent its end is provided with twodiametrically opposite beveled recesses 24, which are adapted to beengaged by the beveled or toothed portion 25 of the latch 18, wherebythe tubular lever 16 is locked to the lateral tubular portion 13 and,therefore, to the collar 12. To disengage the lever 16 from the tubularportion 13, the portion 20 of the la-tph 18 is forced into the tubularlever, thereby causing the disengagement of the portion 25 of the latch18 from the recess 24 of the tubular portion 13.

Engaging the end of the bore of the tubular lever 16 is a cylindricalpawl 26, the end 27 ofwhich isadapted to engage the ratchet 11. Thelateral surface of the pawl is pro- ,vided'with a keyway28 which isengaged by a key 29 forming part of the latch 18 and provided adjacenttheV-'shaped groove 19.

This engagement between the latch and theY pawl prevents the rotation ofthe pawl while it allows a certain amount of translation of the pawlwithin the tubular lever 16. A coil spring 304is provided 'withinthe'bore of the tubular lever 16 which bears with one end against a pin31 integral with the lever and forming an abutment for the said end ofthe the other end of the ccilspring bearing against the end of the pawl26 and, forcing said pawl into seenthat the same lever can be engagementwith the ratchet surface of the `reinforcement 10.

As shown in Fig. 3 the tubular member -tion will automatically engageitself with the lower beveled recess 24, as shown in Fig. 4; and thiswill permit the rotation of the tubular member 5 in the direction of thearrovgas shown in said figure. Therefore, the reversevmotion in thelifting jack is obtained by the removal of the tubular lever and itsinsertion after turning the same through an angle of 180 degrees. It iseasily used with jacks that may vary in size but have the same sizetubular portion lgalso, it affords a rapid change from raising tolowering and vice versa.

lraise a load. To lower aprojection provided with a I {aving thusdescribed my invention, I

clalm as new anddesire to secure by Letters Patent:

In a device of the character described, a member to be rotated providedwith an annular series of teeth, a collar loosely mountecl on saidmember and inclosin and covering said teeth, said collar socket, aratchet handle with an inclined spring-pressed pawl mounted in its endadapted to engage said teeth when inserted in said transverse latchmember also 'carried by said handle adapted to engage recesses in theopposite sides of said radial rojection, whereby said handle maybe loc*edin position to rota-te said member in either direction.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification inthepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

ADDELBERT DUDGEON.

Witnesses:

Loom P. RAUM, JAMES B. WEAvER.

havmg a radial l socket, and a

